Chord chime



Dec. 25, 1962 c. s. RINKER CHORD CHIME Filed April 21, 1958 Carl 6. Rinker INVENTOR.

BY non pow 3% dfi-Yfihl Patented Dec. 25, 1962 3,978,791 EHGRD CHE IE Carl G. Rinker, Swainshoro, Ga., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The lhilip Carey Manufacturing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Apr. 21, 1958, Bl. No. 729,994 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 340392) This invention relates to signal devices and more particularly to chimes for domestic or commercial use.

An object of the invention is to provide a structurally and functionally improved chime capable of producing two successive chords or one chord in a single note combination or two single notes, one directly after the other or one note in accordance with the desires of the user.

One of the features of the invention is the arrangement of parts including the manner that the tone bars are associated with the resonating tubes and solenoid operated hammers arranged between the tone bars. There is a pair of tone bars attached to one tube and having sides spaced apart from each other, between which a solenoid is mounted. With the solenoid armature movable vertically, its ends or more particularly, hammers on the ends, strike the two tone bars on the same resonating tube. This tone bar could be used in conjunction with a second tone bar or as a single unit. The same holds true for the second tone bar, but it has a different arrangement of parts. The single resonating tube is provided with a pair of spaced tone bars and each is substantially U-shaped. A double acting solenoid is located between this pair of tone bars and the hammers on the solenoid armature can strike both tone bars, one after the other. In addition there is another solenoid located between the sides of the substantially U-shaped second tone bar of the second resonating tube. The last mentioned solenoid is also double acting with the hammers on the end of the armature capable of striking both sides of the last mentioned tone bar and in succession. With this arrangement of parts a wide variety of options in the operation and adjustment of the chime are available. Among the possibilities are the selection of single acting instead of double acting solenoids, the physical separation of either of the tubes from the other and many additional possibilities.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simple but yet exceedingly versatile chord chime that is practical from a manufacturing standpoint and which is easily wired and otherwise installed.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one possible arrangement including all of the resonating tubes in a single housing.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view on enlarged scale and taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view, parts shown in section and other parts shown in dot-dash lines and illustrating the mechanism of the chord chime of FIGURE 1,

this view also having a schematic of the wiring used in connection with the chord chime.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of a modification in the sense that there is a different shaped housing accommodating both of the resonating tubes and the associated mechanism in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 77 of FIGURE 6. i in the accompanying drawing there is an illustration of a double tube housing ltl together with an illustration of a single width tube housing 12. These housings are arbitrarily selected as possible configurations for such housings, it being understood that the shape and ornamentation may be varied. Typical housings it or 12 each consists of a cover with the covering 14 of housing It} having side Walls 16 and an open back that is attached separably to a mounting plate 18. The mounting plate can have bolt holes so that bolts attach the housing cover thereto or some other mechanical expedient can be resorted to in separably attaching the cover in place.

Resonating tubes 2% and 22 are shown as being square and circular in cross-section respectively and here again, this is another variable. The cross-sectional shapes of the resonating tubes can be altered. Tube 29 has two openings (unshown) in its front Wall in front of which tone bars 24 and 26 are fastened. Tone bars 2% and 30 are attached to the side wall of resonating tube 22 and are located in front of tone openings 32 and 34 in the side Wall (FIGURE 2). Sound insulating means are used to attach the tone bars to the resonating tubes and these means can be rivets, bolts or the like that are passed through openings in the two tubes and the tone bars, but the tone bars are isolated from the resonating tubes by means of rubber grommets 36.

Inner caps 37 and 38 are in tube 22 and are spaced from each other. These are partitions extending completely across the inside diameter of the tube 22 and isolating a resonating chamber 39 in resonating tube 22. Chamber 3? resonates bar 28. A second chamber 4i is isolated from a part of the interior of resonating tube 22 by means of inner caps or partitions 4i and 42 that are spaced from each other on opposite sides of opening 34. Cavity 4t resonates tone bar 36 when it is struck. End caps 43 and 44, each provided with a socket, accommodates the outer extremities of the resonating tube 22 and facilitate mounting the resonating tube 22 between the upper and lower sides 46 and 47 that protrude from mounting plate 18. In addition to this the resonating tube 22 can be further supported by sound deadening grommets 50 that have rivets, bolts or the like pass through them and fastened to the resonating tube 22.

Resonating tube 2% is essentially the same as resonating tube 22 but shows that the partitions that isolate the interior of the tube into a pair of resonating chambers may be of other shapes to conform to the cross-sectional shape of the tube 20. In addition the cross-sectional shape of the tube 20 can be altered to achieve different sound characteristics. The shape of the caps at the ends of tube 20 are changed to conform to the shape of the tube 24 In addition, tone bars 24 and 26 are mounted in front of openings that register with the resonating chambers of tube 20 but have only a single solenoid 52 to strike both of them. Whereas, a similar double acting solenoid 54 is mounted between tone bars 28 and 3t and there is another solenoid 56 mounted within tone bar 36. Double acting solenoid 52 must be double acting in order to properly operate both tone bars 24 and 26. However, the solenoids 54 and 56 can be single acting although the double acting solenoids are suggested because of the improved results found in the rrultiplicity of notes n soundings of the notes. Although the solenoids can be mounted on brackets that are attached to the mounting plate 18, for facility of illustration only, they are shown in an alternate mounting, namely, on the cover 14. The same is true of the panel board 58 having the nine wires necessary for the circuits, attached to terminals or binding posts thereon.

Solenoid 54 is detailed in FIGURE 5. It consists of a coil 60 mounted in a solenoid case 62 and having a soft iron or other type of armature 64 that is movable in the field produced by coil 69. The armature 64 has two hammers 66 and 68 at its ends that pass through guide openings 70 and 72 in a part of the solenoid case. The null position is established by having the armature 64 come to rest on spring 74 mounted in the armature case. The hammers strike tone bar 23 and then tone bar 30 in response to a single pulse of the solenoid armature with an electrical current (for instance when either of the door bell switches is closed), and after the second striking of the tone bar, spring 74 returns the armature to the null or rest position. Solenoid 56 is constructed identical to this as is solenoid 52. The actual construction of the solenoid can be varied. The illustration in FIGURE exemplifies a typical solenoid construction.

Each of the tone bars is made in the same way. Tone bar 28 typifies the others and is substantially U-shaped, having sides 78 and 79 connected by member 80 at the inner ends of the sides. Side 79 is adapted to be struck by hammer 66, while 81 of tone bar 30 is adapted to be struck by hammer 68 of the same armature 64. Sides 81 and 82 of tone bar 30 are adapted to be struck by the hammers of solenoid 56. Slides S3 and 84 of tone bars 24 and 26 respectively are adapted to be struck by the hammers of solenoids 52.

The two units which consist respectively of each resonating tube 20 and 22 plus their associated parts can form a four note chime when Wired as shown in FIGURE 4. In this regard the upper terminal 90 has the front door switch 91 wired to it with the lowermost terrrinal 93 having the additional switch 93 wired to it and the center terminal 95 is the common terminal. Solenoid 52 is wired to terminals 90 and 95 since low voltage is r quired, a transformer 98 is shown in the electrical circuit. The wiring for a four note chime is shown schematically in FIGURE 2, this view showing the wiring for a two button, for example a front door and rear door arrangement. Upon depression of the front door button 91 current is carried by terminal 90 by an electrical conductor, from which it is energized through wire 100, the coil of solenoid 54 and through wire 102 to the solenoid 52. The second wire of the circuit which is permanently installed, connects the transformer to terminal 95 and then to the coil of solenoid 54 through wire 108 and to solenoid 52 by way of wire 110. The energization of the coil of solenoid 54 and solenoid 52 drives the armature in solenoid 54 and the armature in solenoid 52 upwardly simultaneously to strike the tone bars above the hammers at the upper end of the solenoid armatures in order to produce a pleasing tone chord. Upon releasing the front door button 91, the two solenoids in question are deenergized and the strikers (armatures) of solenoids 52 and 54 return downward during which movement they simultaneously strike the tone bars 36) and 26 producing the second melodious chord. Upon the point of instant impact the springs in the solenoids 52 and 54- are depressed sufficiently to return the armatures upward to the null position immediately after striking the lower tone bars and preventing the deadening of the vibrations of the bars.

The above describes two chords sounded, one following the other upon closing the front door switch, usually a push button, and its release. The similar results are possible with the same type of wiring should the tone bar 24 and its respective-mounting tone chamber along with solenoid 52 be mounted on an extension of solenoid 52 and the armature assert bly of the solenoid 52 be mounted on an extension of resonating tube 22. above tone bar 23- The operation of the first door button when depressed would then sound two melodious notes simultaneously and upon release, gravity would return the armature assemblies and a single note would be sounded because the armature of solenoid 52 would not be permitted to strike the tone bar located below it for it would not produce a satisfactory chord with tone bar 39.

The rear door note is accomplished by closing switch 95, usually a push button which when depressed continues the circuit to the terminal 93 from which current is carried through to terminal through solenoid 56 and back through Wire to terminal 95 which is connected to the transformer, making a complete circuit and energizing the solenoid 56. Upon energizing the coil of solenoid 56 its armature assembly rises vertically and strikes the tone bar side 81 producing a single melodious tone. Upon release of the rear door switch 95, deenergization of the solenoid 56 is accomplished and permits the armature thereof to drop by gravity and is cushioned noiselessly by a rubber cushion 128 below it thus emitting only one note for the rear door signal. The above description is a signalling device which can sound two chords, one after the other or as desired, one chord and one note, or if desired, merely two notes the last just a single note depending wholly on the results that are desired.

It is wholly unnecessary to have the two units mounted on a single plate 18. They may be separate from each other and located at spaced places to provide a sterophonic sound effect. They can be mounted with one above the other as shown in FIGURE 6. In that case the tubes should be of the same shape and have all of its necessary parts and circuitry closed in housing 130, conector 13' consisting of a short sleeve, can be used to attach the tubes together. Many other variations may be made without departing from the invention. All modifications and changes that fall within the scope of the following claims may be resorted to.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a chord chime, the combination of a single resonate tube that has means therein to isolate two resonating chambers in the resonate tube, said tube having an aperture in registry with each of said resonating chambers, a pair of bent tone bars which have sides approximately parallel to each other, said tone bars mounted in confronting relationship to said apertures, means including hammers mounted between adjacent tone bar sides of two tone bars for striking said adjacent sides of said tone bars to produce melodious notes, a second resonate tube, said second resonate tube having at least one resonating chamber and an aperture in the side wall of said second tube in registry with said one resonating chamber, a third tone bar mounted in registry with the last mentioned aperture and having a portion extending laterally from said second tube, a solenoid having an armature with a hammer at one end thereof adapted to strike the said portion of said third tone bar and produce a tone.

2. In a chord chime, the combination of a single resonate tube that has means therein to isolate two resonating chambers in the resonate tube, said tube having an aperture in registry with each of said resonating chambers, a pair of bent tone bars which have sides approximately parallel to each other, said tone bars mounted in confronting relationship to said apertures, means including hammers mounted between adjacent tone bar sides 5 6 of two tone bars for striking said adjacent sides of said References Cited in the file of this patent tone bars to produce melodious notes, a second resonating UNITED STATES PATENTS tube, said second resonating tube having at least one resonating chamber and an aperture in the side Wall of said 1 195 177 Bergemn et aL Aug 22, 1916 second tube in registry with said one resonating chamber, 5 2:133:911 Alexander 18, 1938 a third tone -b-ar mounted in registry with the last men- 2,194,507 Lord Man 26, 1940 t-ioned aperture and having a lateral projecting portion, 2 23 537 Sundt J 16 1942 a solenoid having an armature with a hammer at one 2,391,698 Grohsgahl De 25,1945 end thereof adapted to strike said portion of the third 2,452,897 Bossard Nov. 2, 1948 tone bar and produce a tone, an electrical circuit opera- 10 2,470,827 Miller May 24, 1949 tively connecting said sides striking means and said sole- 2,538,295 ROWE 4, 2 noid for the actuation of said sides striking means and 2,717,997 Rj'ttenhouse 7 P 13, 1955 Said So.len0id 2,810,123 McEvoy Oct. 15, 1957 

